Access
This article is part of Nature's premium content.
Published online 29 January 2004 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news040126-10
News
Plants to uncover landmines
Genetically engineered plants turn red when growing over a mine.
A genetically engineered plant that detects landmines in soil by changing colour could prevent thousands of deaths and injuries by signalling where explosives are concealed.
The plant, a modified version of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana ), is sensitive to nitrogen dioxide gas, which is released by underground landmines.
To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right).
Comments
Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email redesign@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.